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Do cover scents or drag scent work ?


luberhill
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I was able to kill 3.5 year old bucks on 3 consecutive years (2 with crossbow one with gun) with some Evercalm (the regular stuff) applied to my boots, about 100 yards from my stand, and a little rubbed on a branch near the stand when I got to it.  

I never had any luck with Tinks 69 or any other doe in heat type stuff that I tried,  but hot apple cider has brought a few in from downwind (including one of the previously mentioned 3.5's on two consecutive weeks).

That one was spooked in close, when he caught a glimpse of my shiny silver cider thermos, during archery season.  His luck ran out the next week, when he again approached within shotgun range and caught a few slugs.  

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The issue with scents is they stay.. you leave and that scent is stuck on the leaves, trees , what ever you put it on for days.. you ruin more areas making a drag in or try evercalm on trees.. I can see that waxy stuff on trees for months after someone puts it on a limb.   

Once in a great while some deer may follow a trail to you but imo save your money and buy a good range finder or stand or blind or a new bow.. people spend crazy amount of money on scents.. 

All that Being said I have only had consistent luck using a fresh tarsal gland up wind from my spot 40 or 50 yards and it must be from a deer 3 miles or more away. A buck or doe, no bloody,  refegerated in  ziplock bad with a zip tie loop to hang it on a limb 2 to 3 ft off ground  ,placed when hunting and removed when you leave placed back in zip lock bag and used maybe 2 or 3 days if refrigerated and temps are cool outside , after that it starts to turn rancid and doenst work. 

 

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The issue with scents is they stay.. you leave and that scent is stuck on the leaves, trees , what ever you put it on for days.. you ruin more areas making a drag in or try evercalm on trees.. I can see that waxy stuff on trees for months after someone puts it on a limb.   
Once in a great while some deer may follow a trail to you but imo save your money and buy a good range finder or stand or blind or a new bow.. people spend crazy amount of money on scents.. 
All that Being said I have only had consistent luck using a fresh tarsal gland up wind from my spot 40 or 50 yards and it must be from a deer 3 miles or more away. A buck or doe, no bloody,  refegerated in  ziplock bad with a zip tie loop to hang it on a limb 2 to 3 ft off ground  ,placed when hunting and removed when you leave placed back in zip lock bag and used maybe 2 or 3 days if refrigerated and temps are cool outside , after that it starts to turn rancid and doenst work. 
 

What is the issue with the scent staying behind when you leave? Besides of course the littering aspect of leaving wicks in trees or wax marks on trees which I agree is not ideal.


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6 minutes ago, crappyice said:


What is the issue with the scent staying behind when you leave? Besides of course the littering aspect of leaving wicks in trees or wax marks on trees which I agree is not ideal.


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Deer will investigate when your gone and find your human scent ( you can't hide it) and then they associate that scent with people making it a repulsion scent vs attractant.. that's why the 1st time a scent is used it seems to work and then nothing the next 100x you use it.

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Deer will investigate when your gone and find your human scent ( you can't hide it) and then they associate that scent with people making it a repulsion scent vs attractant.. that's why the 1st time a scent is used it seems to work and then nothing the next 100x you use it.

It’s a wonder we ever kill these things. That’s a whole bunch of higher level processing for them (and you). And I’m not even disagreeing…


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19 minutes ago, crappyice said:


It’s a wonder we ever kill these things. That’s a whole bunch of higher level processing for them (and you). And I’m not even disagreeing…


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It only takes a little effort more than the other guy.. hence the saying 10% of hunters kill 90% of the game.. 

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I spray a cover scent that smells like dirt on my clothes before I go out. I use Evercalm by my stand. As for deer scent I like to put out a Code Blue estrous scent late October right up to gun. If it's windy or raining I don't bother. 

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I've used good ol' Tinks 69 on rags that I hung on trees, and on a few occasions, had bucks rub the hell out of those same little cedars within a couple of hours while I was off on a walkabout. One time, I even blew out a decent buck that was bedded directly behind one of those trees.

Pretty hit or miss though. I've had way more occasions where scents seemed to have no apparent affect.

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11 minutes ago, crappyice said:


Now now…are you implying that proper use of scent requires less effort? Quite judgy IMHO


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Proper use of ,or not use of , is probably the difference between success and failure for many   same a decoy use or non use...

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